


Alongside the River Banks

by 24hourprince



Category: Hunt Down The Freeman (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, alcohol consumption, river monster au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28263831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/24hourprince/pseuds/24hourprince
Summary: Two men, Mitchell and Adam, have been sharing a house alongside the river for a year or so. Before an accident leaves Mitchell nearly dead in the river, something saves him.
Relationships: mitchell shephard/adam (hdtf)/nick (hdtf)
Kudos: 2





	Alongside the River Banks

Mitch knew he shouldn't have been drinking this much this close to the river but the soft lulls of the water moving was so relaxing. He slowly sips his 5th long island. Getting up to grab something to snack on. He hums to himself, maybe he'll ask Adam if he wants to hang out for a bit? He seemed stressed lately.

He missteps. Hitting a patch of algae he was meaning to scrape off, sliding, sending him headfirst into his deckchair, knocking him out, with a sickening crack. Before falling, limp in the water. 

Nick was relaxing in one of his favorite hidey-holes. Under a deck laying on some deck chair someone through down here in a rage. Nick would normally complain, but it  _ was  _ a really comfy deckchair. It was his favourite place to take a midnight nap.

He was curled up, almost asleep as the water moves slowly around him.

Until something flopped in the water. 

He was thinking it was whoever lived in the house just past the river going for a late night swim. It's happened a few times before. 

But they weren't moving.

Nick normally wouldn't care but these humans are the first one in a while who didn't carelessly toss garbage in his house. The thinner one even tends to be mindful of the natural wildlife. 

He swims up to the body, Hoping that a little nudge will make them right as rain. But that isn't the case. He brings them up to the surface, trying to shake him awake. Still to no avail. 

He takes a breath in, bringing air into his lungs for the first time in months, before breathing into the body. They cough a few times, expelling the water from their lungs, before mumbling something and going limp again. Neck contoured in an unnatural angle. Nick places their own forehead on theirs, his face glowing slightly as he heals their wounds.Neck slowly snapping back in place, gouges in their skin begin to knit back together. He takes the human into his arms, before carrying them to land.

Nick slowly waddles his way to the back sliding glass door. Using his legs on land for the first time since spring. He hopes the skinnier one is home. 

They are.

He knocks on the door, (he hopes that's still polite) and hears a: "Just a minute!" 

He knocks a little harder. 

"I said in a minute Mitchell! Goddamn you are impatient!" They say as they open the sliding door. Before looking at Nick, wide-eyed, confused.

Nick hums in preparation to speak. "This one fell into the water. Concussion, broken neck, drowning, deep cuts. They are fine now. But they need supervision." Nick says as he walks right into the house. 

"I do not know what the  _ fuck  _ is going on. But  _ please _ let me get a towel or something, you two are dripping everywhere." They say, panicked. Scrambling to grab some towels out the closet before placing them on the couch. 

"Just… Put him here alright?" They say gesturing to the couch.

"What did you get yourself into this time Mitch?" They coo as Nick places him gently onto the couch. 

"His name is… Mitch?" Nick asks, one eyebrows quirked up, questioning.

"Yeah, Mitchell, I usually just call him Mitch." They look, almost tender, at the prone form on the couch "I guess we kinda rushed passed introductions, I'm Adam and…. that's not a costume is it." Adam says taking in Nick's features. mostly human-ish from the neck up, well besides gills on the sides of his neck needle-like teeth and reflective eyes with too big pupils. But then it quickly transitiona to scale plateing and webbed limbs.

"No, no it's not." He shakes his head. "And I go by Nick, or, well, I have the past few centuries at least. It's, nice to meet you Adam, and Mitch" He says, Still getting used to talking verbally again. 

"Centuries… Yeah, I'm going to ignore that for now." Adam says looking distantly.

"I have healed him, he just needs to rest. But he should be safe, no long term damage." Nick tries to change the subject, noticing Adam's uncomfortably.

"He would have died. If you weren't there, right." Adam says, just above a whisper, brushing a strand of long hair out of Mitchell's face

"Most likely, yes. The neck was... bad. Most likely fatal. The drowning, did not fair him much better." Nick replies distantly.

"But he's fine now" Adam asks, amazed

"Yes" Nick replies simply.

"Can I ask you something" Adam starts again.

"Go ahead" Nick motions him to continue. 

"Why did you save him? It sounds like you haven't had contact with… humans, in quite some time, why did you save him." Adam looks down at Mitchell.

Nick thinks for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know, you seem nice, you don't throw garbage in the river. You left me some oranges that one time. They were really good." 

"That it?" Adam asks, perplexed.

Nick just nods his head, as if that's all that was needed.

"I'm glad you liked them, I was wondering why our neighbor told me to do that. Seemed rude not to." Adam laughs. "I can get you more when we go to the farmers market?"

Nick smiles wide, a little too wide, showing off the rows of thin, sharp teeth. "I would like that."

Adam darts his eyes away from that. Mind unsure of how to process it all.

They sit in silence for a moment, both looking over at Mitchell, sleeping soundly on the couch. Before a yawn breaks out from Adam's mouth. 

"Oh! most humans sleep during the night" Nick says, as if remembering a fact he learned once. "I should leave you two be for the time being. You need your rest. I'll come by tomorrow to check in on everything." Nick says realizing how tired Adam looks.

"Oh, ok." Is all Adam gets to say before he sees Nick leave, jumping back into the water. 

"What the  _ fuck _ was that" Adam says to himself once hes alone. 


End file.
